Monday, May 28, 2007

As a long time cyclist, I thought it important to help the county with its trails vision, so, last winter, I volunteered for, and was appointed to, the Johnson County Trails Advisory Committee. One thing I would like to see this committee do is promote “good”, on-the-road, bicycle routes within the county. This would serve as an aid not only cyclists new to the area or visiting, but also to those of us looking for “new” routes to ride.

My cycling experience has encompassed, regular commuting to work, riding for cardiovascular exercise, shopping trips, recreational trail riding, and multi-state, self-supported trips among other things. I mention this because in these various different modes, I’ve recognized that there are different routes that best suit each of them. Over the years, I’ve learned the “best” way for me for these different types of rides. Some times this has been through BIC rides, sometimes perusing of bicycle route maps produced by various government agencies or nonprofits and often by trial and error. My guess is that many of you have also developed a set of “good” routes for various purposes.

I would like not only to recommend that the county develop a set of bicycle routes, but also be in a position to guide the county in their selection. To that end, I would like to build a virtual file of routes, in the county, outside of the incorporated areas, that could be proposed. What I would like you to do to help with this effort is think of “good” routes you know in various categories and both email them to me at DelHolland@aol.com and/or post them on the Bike Library’s blog at http://bikelibrary.blogspot.com/ as comments under my post ‘“Good” Johnson County Cycling Routes’. This way you can see what others have done and not waste your time recommending a route that someone else has already done, but share new routes. I would suggest that we categorize them to make appropriate distinctions. For instance:

Commuter-Good would probably have the characteristics of low traffic counts, direct between points, maybe few hills.

In/Out (this would be for routes that lead out of the county to points beyond)-Good would probably include many of the features of the “good commuter route. An example, in my opinion, of a “Good” In/Out would be Black Diamond Road.

Exercise/Recreational (This category might include two different subsets.

Easy-I would see Sand Road.

Challenging – I would see Sugar Bottom Road.

These are some ideas I see to get us started.

Please take some time, think of your favorite rides, look at the blog, add your favorites to the list and email a copy to me. If you have any questions feel free to email me or call at 338-5220.

ABOUT THE BIKE LIBRARY

The Bike Library is a volunteer-run community bike project located in Iowa City, IA. We repair donated bikes and check them out to the public. Bikes are priced with a deposit (ranging from $30-$100). If a bike is returned in good condition within the six-month checkout period, the full amount of the deposit will be returned to the user. Alternately, patrons can choose to keep their bikes and forfeit their deposit.

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Welcome to the blog of the Iowa City Bike Library. This blog is a space for volunteers to share information, thoughts & ideas, and announcements pertaining to the Bike Library or cycling in general.

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